The difference

After last night, I think I've figured out the difference. Radio nerds talk about music they like, music writers argue over which music writers they hate. Guess which topic I find more interesting.

Perhaps I'm just grumpy when I'm the designated driver and everyone else is having more fun than me. I also hate that.

SF Bling!

This is a new shoppe in our neighborhood. So convenient to have immediate access to shiny Bling right down the street.

Oatmeal in the UK

While it's in a land far, far away (dammit!) where they speak with funny accents and have pictures of the queen on their currency, even in the UK --- they eat oatmeal for breakfast! Here is "Frank" proving this breakfast similarity between nations true. However, in England, they might be more likely to call it "porridge" (or perhaps "gruel" if "Frank" was an orphan in a Charles Dickens' novel.) Hey, wait a minute -- where are the baked beans and the rest of the funny stuff?

Fungus Fest

There was a "Fungus Festival" at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market -- which didn't amount to much aside from a few tables with different stages of fungus growing. I especially liked the 'shrooms above. The Chef salvaged the theme by buying a bag of black trumpets and making a delicious dinner w/ them. It was the first time we used our new oven, roasting chicken and baking persimmon pudding. Another delicious feast!

PPQ Dungeness Island

Who has time to blog about breakfast when there are so many delicious things to eat this week. Not only did we stuff ourselves (burp) on Thanksgiving with turkey, wild rice, mashed pototatoes, rutabagas, squash casserole, green beans, endive/blue cheese/pecan appetizers, cranberry sauce, pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie, ginger spice cookies, bourbon balls, but yesterday we realized... it's CRAB SEASON. We always screw this up and miss it.

Determined not to blow it this year, we drove straight to PPQ Dungeness Island restaurant in the Richmond district. A few years ago, we went to the WRONG PPQ restaurant in the Sunset and there wasn't much crab on the menu. Huh? We said to each other, confused. We thought this was the place to go eat crab, where are the giant crabs? Turns out it was a whole different PPQ. Who knew?

Friday we went to the correct PPQ (I think the giveaway is that it's PPQ "Dungeness" Island.) We immediately ordered the "crab dinner for two" (which is kind of like shouting -- "BRING US A GIANT CRAB") and eagerly awaited our giant bibs that said "Time to get cracking'" on them. It's odd to have a waiter put a bib on you, I guess I've missed out on that experience by avoiding the Red Lobster and other shirt-protection-required restaurants. It wasn't as bad as I thought, and he tied it up tight.

Crab dinner for two is not a good first date dinner -- 1) you must wear a giant bib 2) it's hard to make conversation when you are poking into crab parts with a tiny fork 3) you get crab & garlicky sauce all over yourself and make a big mess. Crab dinner for two is perfect for old married people who know the messy extremes of their sweetheart and have an agreed upon gluttony arrangement.

Crab dinner for two --- Imperial Rolls, Chicken Salad, Roasted CRAB, garlic noodles and deep fried bananas and ice cream. We decided that this would be our new day-after-Thanksgiving tradition, making a beeline to the PPQ Dungeness Island crab palace, especially now that we know where it is.

Pilgrim's Pride

We interrupt breakfast week for a delicious Pilgrim's Pride, courtesy of Dr. Robby Virus. Gobble Gobble, Glug Glug.

Turkey Day Breakfast

Kellogg's Raisan Bran and coffee (one packet Splenda, one blop 1% milk.) Reading the morning newspaper is also an essential part of my breakfast routine.

Part 2 -- things I do for work -- today's featured holiday playlist "Give Thanks, Eat Pie" -- Happy Thanksgiving!

The Chieftains "Here's a Health to the Company"

I should memorize all the words to this traditional Irish song and sing it loudly everytime I get together with people I love. "Here's a health to the company and one to my lass/Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass/Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain/For we may and might never all meet here again." Words to live by and celebrate with.

The Soul Stirrers "I Am A Pilgrim"

Sam Cooke w/ his first gospel group. In this song he sings happily about "going home" and while I know that doesn't mean to eat at the family dinner table, on this day let's pretend.

Ray Davies "Thanksgiving"

Who better to sing about an American tradition than an English guy. This is an un-cynical song about families, functional and disfunctional, the real deal.

Cracker "Sweet Potato"

A yammy love song.

The 5,6,7,8's "Hey! Mashed Potato, Hey!

Japanese garage girl dance song stomper that calls out to Mashed Potatoes -- hey! Added bonus, the broken English (i.e. did they just mention gravy?)

The Kaisers "Mashed Potato"

More surf type stuff with lots of shouting about taters. Because singing about taters never gets old.

Golden Smog "Pecan Pie"

Delicious, because Jeff Tweedy takes lead vocals on this one ("A piece of pecan pie, and you that's all I want.") and pecan pie is my favorite Thanksgiving pie. We are bringing one to our Thanksgiving dinner tonight. Plus! The "Down by the Old Mainstream" CD itself is printed with a picture of a pecan pie. You'd miss that delight if you only downloaded music files.

The Ex "The Pie"

Because songs about sweet potato pie go together and this song starts with a recipe for how to make a sweet potato pie, then a noisy request to "globalize the pie." The pie in this song is actually meant to be thrown in the face of a corrupt politician or someone from the world trade organization. The Ex are anarchists from Holland. Here "pie" is a verb.

Art Paul Schlosser "Thanksgiving Stuffing"

A Madison favorite who writes and records songs as prolifically as Daniel Johnston (with as much heart but, um, well, less talent) this is a straight up reading of Oven Top Stuffing directions from a box and other disasters in cooking.

Nellie McKay "Food"

Joyous chorus about getting and eating food fading to a dark underbelly of worldwide hunger issues verse, but then it's back to the happy chorus before you can dwell on the bad stuff.


Sarah Vaughn "Gravy Waltz"

More jazzy odes to delicious gravy in a waltz time signature, please.

Yo La Tengo "Be Thankful for What You Got"

Indie rock cover of an R&B classic by William DeVaughn from one of my favorite bands.

Big Star "Thank You Friends"

More straight up Alex Chilton gratitude, you know, giving thanks, being thankful, it's all here.

William S. Burroughs "A Thanksgiving Prayer"

I hope I don't get fired for sneaking this one here because it breaks many rules in the world of broadcasting, but in an ironic well-meaning way. Maybe not "well-meaning" as I don't think Williams S. Burroughs could ever be described as "well-meaning" but sometimes cyncial mockery with blunt anti-patriotic bad language helps us think about things. Your grandma probably won't think this song is funny.

Four Tet "Sleep, Eat, Have Visions"

A bleepy instrumental after all the trytophan indulgence of the day. ZZZzzzzzzzzz.

Momma MaeRae

Presenting celebrity mom (and pancake maker) of Miss Ruby Rose -- here is MaeRae with her big cup of breakfast mom coffee. I hope that there is also a big multi-vitamin somewhere out of photo range, as I'm a strong bones calcium pusher and, if there is anything I can be accused of prostheltizing, it's that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Even though she may only be fueled in the morning by mom coffee, it's obvious that MaeRae has very strong bones (and vocal chords), all you have to do is listen to her new album to figure that out!

Ruby Rose Breakfast

Today's breakfast is brought to you by Miss Ruby Rose. Sometimes Ruby Rose calls me "The Lady" which sends me straight into my best Jerry Lewis impression. "HEY LAYDEEEEEY!" Look at that pancake!

Breakfast of Goddesses (Irish)

Who better to kick off a week of breakfasts than the mighty Irish Goddess. She usually just has a cup of coffee, but she added the cinnamon butter rum muffin just for me. mmmm. I met Irish Goddess in Junior High and immediately took a shine to her. She had (and still has) a complete understanding of all things sarcastic. Irish Goddess and her witty ways helped get me through Horace Mann Middle School AND the Land of Lumberjacks. If she lived closer I would give her another delicious muffin.

Nun Boutique

Every year we drive down to Fremont (soon to be new home of the Oakland A's) to attend the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose "Holiday Boutique." It's held right next to historic Mission San Jose (photo above). I'm talking 1797 people -- when the Spanish missionaries came to California and told the Ohlone Indians to move it. Their convent is right in the middle of an olive grove. It was here I finally understood (doh) the whole olives-grow-on-trees concept. Like, wait a minute, what in the heck are on those trees?!?! Olives? Really? WOW!

We've been going for six years, the first year as a lark to buy olive oil, but then we were hooked on the niceness of the sisters and the deliciousness of their holiday treats. Nun fruitcake is now part of our California Christmas tradition.


As a fundraiser, the sisters sell their 100% "extra virgin"olive oil (that's their joke!), along with fruit cake, holiday cookies, bourbon balls that pack a punch and homemade jam (which was all gone by the time we got there on Sunday -- sigh.) In a land without snow, for me the holiday season starts when we get to the nun fair. We buy olive oil and fruit cake (shut up -- it's good!) for both of our families. One year I forgot to bring home the nun fruit cake to my parents in Wisconsin and they were very upset with me. This year I will have to mail it so it will get there in time.

We are usually too shy to take pictures of the nuns out of respect (i.e. catholic guilt and the strong chance of a giant lightning bolt from the sky striking me down in mid-flash.) Although one year one of the nuns was wearing a Rudolph nose and I was very sad I didn't bring my camera, and then I felt guilty about the delighted thought of taking a picture of a nun wearing a Rudolph nose. This year we took pictures, and they didn't mind at all, and there was no "signal" from above that this was wrong, not even a holy tap on the shoulder that it was a venial sin.


Many of the nuns seem to be wizenheimers (Rudolph nose, etc.) and the ones selling the cookies made funny faces when the photo below was taken and made everyone on that side of the room laugh. They always have a door prize raffle -- this year I was only ONE NUMBER OFF! I guess that holiday gift bag with the Applebee's gift certificate went to someone who prays.


We bought olive oil, fruitcake, persimmons, christmas cookies, the famous (loaded with) bourbon balls, a felt turkey head (which is supposed to be slipped over a pineapple?! but my thought is a wine bottle) and nun knitting. I bought a tiny green & red knitted bag that holds things for joggers (?) and all of a sudden the Chef desperately needed yellow & brown hot pads.

Our Nun Boutique bounty is below.

Nert Certified

Today I put out fires, triaged boyscouts, learned what "cribbing" means (no, it's not cheating on the final test) and mistakenly tagged someone as dead when I just needed to put their head in an air intake position. Oops. Sorry volunteer victim. Now I'm a certified NERT volunteer with my own helmet, gloves and orange vest.

Deirdre's breakfast!

In honor of the Chef's food blog A Week of Porridge , I (jokingly) asked people to send me a picture of what they had for breakfast. Here's what Deirdre (the animal expert) eats -- "Greek fig yogurt and coffee with cream and a whole lotta sugar."


Now I'm serious -- please send me a picture of your breakfast!

Make Out Mix

I have a weird job. One of the things that I get paid to do is to create a weekly playlist of sexytime make out songs that are automatically loaded into portable "devices." That way, people can just plug in their device, and start their Friday night listening to, um, sexytime make out songs. Kind of creepy, huh? My suspicion is that those in charge had a big laugh assigning this particular list to me -- and while at first my face got all red when I had send them to my editor (e-mail goes something like, hey bob, here's this week's big make out songs. Do they meet with your approval?" blush blush.

However, turns out it's loads of fun to put together (and much better than whoever is stuck with the weekly "work out mix" UGH!) I try to pick some corny "classics" that are funny to listen to in context (although at closer listen I discovered that Journey's cringeworthy "Lovin' Touchin' & Squeezin'" is actually a jealous and bitter loser song -- I'm pointing at YOU Steve Perry.) I pluck songs from lots of unexpected genres (George Jones & Tammy Wynette's "Take Me" is a great one.) I also try to throw in a few curveballs, like Mirah's "Murphy Bed" (which is a plea to her on-the-road sweetie to tie her to the bed and "let's do all the things we said") to see if anyone will mention it to me, like, hey -- maybe not so S&M on the next list, ok? Of course, no one says anything about the list to me -- ever. Except for once laughing at me about after a particular indie rock Belle & Sebastian tinged sexytime list. Too sweet, okay. Maybe that's how I ride.

I was very pleased with this week's sexytime list:

• "You Sexy Thing" - Hot Chocolate
  

At my parent's house I have a tattered gradeschool CCD workbook somewhere (CCD is Catholic class for public school kids spared from daily exposure to nuns.) There's a page that asks lots of questions like -- what's your favorite color, what's your favorite food, and then, what's your favorite song? My response in scrawley grade school writing? -- Hot Chocolate "You Sexy Thing" I had no idea. Come to think of it, no one ever said anything about it to me then! You cannot deny the greatness of this song, even when you are 11 and have no idea what it really means.

• "Your Touch" - The Black Keys

Scrawny white nerds from Ohio who sing gritty sexed-up blues songs, the perfect match.

• "Do You Wanna Touch Me" - Joan Jett

Another classic that we all sang along loudly with in high school without giving a thought to being assaulted. Plus, Joan Jett in black leather with an Elvis snarl. Need I say more?

• "Come Close" - Common

It's hard to find a sweet, sincere hip-hop love song that doesn't use bad words to describe the ladies. This is a sweet, sincere hip hop song that will make you want to track down Common and give him a kiss. (update, I just saw Common on the TV rapping "Peace, Love, The Gap" so I'm re-thinking him as someone I would want to kiss. Peace, Love, The Gap? blah!

• "Let's Stay In And Make Love" - Nick Lowe

An adult old married folks sexytime song, that is quite blunt! Getting the message across, because old people don't have time to waste.

• "Make The Night A Little Longer" - Dionne Warwick

This song rules because Dionne actually makes a plea to GOD to extend the length of the evening so she can have more sexytime fun. Does that make it a gospel song?

• "Want No Other" - Holly Golightly

An underappreciated UK vocalist who sings many alluring 60's vintage-style songs about romance that range from upfront (the Headcoatees "Come Into My Mouth" -- I was not daring enough to include that one this week -- eek) I picked this one because she tells her bloke that even though he's a big jerk, she still digs him anyway. Who can explain the magic of love?

• "We're Gonna Boogie" - Primal Scream

See Black Keys above, replace scrawny nerds from Ohio with scrawny nerds from Scotland singing gritty sexed-up blues songs. Boogie, you know what I mean? nudge nudge, wink wink. Note that this is from their first new CD in years, and it rocks.

• "The Way You Move - (featuring Sleepy Brown)" - Outkast

My least favorite of the list, I never quite got the whole Outkast frenzy, but I try to throw un-adventerous listeners a familar treat if they can make it this far down this list.

• "Kiss Me Neck" - Lee "Scratch" Perry

An instrumental, yet one of the sexiest songs of them all. This was one of the Upsetters' very first singles, from the 1960s. Mix the title w/ the rock steady chugachugachugs and the vocal exclamations at the close -- wow. Sometimes the sexiest songs have no lyrics.

So next time someone asks me, "so what do you really do again for work?" I'll tell them I make lists of sexytime makeout songs that can instantly downloaded as a "dynamic" playlist to their portable "device" so they can enjoy a sexytime weekend, and maybe I'll hand them this list.

Big Cookie lunch

No, I didn't sit on the floor and eat giant chocolate chip cookies (burp.) Today I had lunch with DJ Big Cookie. She's a world travelling super-artist whose sweetheart is more than prepared for the next disaster to strike. They have MRE rations! She said that we could come over to their place after the next earthquake, but only if we bring the liquor. Agreed.


Not only did Neko Case wear the DJ Big Cookie two heads designed T-shirt when she played Bimbo's earlier this year -- she also wore it on the cover of nerd-guitar magazine "Frets."



Last week I was watching the hopeless new (and probably last) season of "The Gilmore Girls" and there was dopey musician character Zach, AGAIN wearing that Neko-approved Big Cookie designed two heads T-shirt! I took it as a sign that I should quick get one for my niece (it's her 18th birthday on Thursday) before all of Hollywood AND alt.county has purchased one.

A Week of Porridge

This week the Chef is doing a food blog for egullet.org - an on-line food community that he participates in by moderating the drunk and disorderly (i.e. cocktails) section. It's a lot of pressure, all this food documentation, as other people who have participated have traveled to Cambodia or live in Italy. He is going to take pictures of his oatmeal every morning.

My stroke of genius was to buy a giant bag of Peeps and present a different Peeps preparation for each meal for seven days. Peeps & Eggs, Peep Sandwich, Grilled Peeps (and so on) -- however, the classic Peeps are not "in season" so I'll have to wait until Springtime to recreate this fantasy.

Here is A Week of Porridge.

Media Love

It's fun to open up the newspaper and read about your friends.

Congratulations to Catherine Second Life & Deirdre the Animal Expert on all the media attention!

Fireman Frank

 

NERT

Tomorrow, the Chef and I will be getting up EARLIER THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE ON A SATURDAY MORNING to attend NERT training. That's Neighborhood Emergency Response Team. I think this means that we'll get to wear hard hats and orange vests during the next earthquake, and maybe even help people.

My New Wallet

This is my new wallet. My old Poketo wallet that my friend DJ Big Cookie gave me was getting all worn out and the change kept exploding out of the coin purse. DJ Big Cookie's designs were all sold out (and I'm hoarding my Postal Service freebie), so I took my chances and went directly to artist Susie Ghahremani's website to see if I could score one of her typewriter wallets. Whew, it was there. I also ordered one of the notepads, there were birds and owls on it, how could I resist?

The funny thing was, when I walked up to the grocery store yesterday (the Chef needed mushrooms) and I pulled out my wallet at the checkout line, the grocery store check-out kid said, "Nice wallet!" and when I started to explain how I knew someone that did designs for them, he pulled out his own wallet and said, "Look! I have a Poketo wallet too!" We got all excited talking about vinyl wallets, until the stupid middle-aged women behind us wanted (ahem) to have her goddamn groceries checked and I had to go home.

Do you think I should be worried that the highlight of my day was talking vinyl wallets with the grocery store check-out kid?

Moldy McSunkenhead

The Halloween season is officially over. Unfortunately, pumpkins don't last as long here as they do in the Midwest. Here is McMoldy in happier times, before he bit the doorstep.

!Ya Vote!

Is it wrong to vote for Hydra Mendoza for school board just because her name is so marvelous?

(oh, but she's endorsed by Gavin and that's a big plus too.)

Mondays

I go into the office on Monday. It bursts my illusion that I don't have a full-time job. There are times when I think I would be happier if I went into the office more often (as they would like me to do, so that they could suck out my brain and still not give me benefits) but there are other times when I'm very happy to be free of the get-up-ride-the-bus-only-to-sit-around with strangers routine that I feel like I'm living in a dream world.

Just me. Just me and the cats. Just me and the cats, sitting in the basement meeting all my deadlines. Just me, talking to the cats, just me, singing to the cats. Just me, isolating myself from the world. There are many days I have to resist picking up the phone to call the office in a fit of paranoia, and scream, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON THERE?"

Maybe I should go into the office more often. Then again, what about the cats?

Plus, riding public transportation is over-rated (if only by MY MOM.) Last year, my mother and I spent a weekend in Chicago and (because my mom has a bum knee) we took the bus down Michigan Avenue to the Art Institute. It was a public bus, but because nearly everyone who got on it was a clueless visitor who asked the bus driver for directions, it basically was a "tourist shuttle."

My mom said to me, "You know, riding the bus is great!" and I (sarcastic daughter) retorted, "Yes THIS bus is a nice bus, but not all buses are like this." She said, "But it's so convenient to hop on a bus and get to where you want to go." I responded, "Well, a few blocks on a bus down Michigan Avenue with a bus driver who is giving everyone directions is great. But really mom, not ALL buses are as nice as this bus." She just looked at me blankly -- she has no idea! My mother has missed out on the day to day horrors of big city bus riding.

Sometimes when I'm riding the #14 down Mission Street, I come to the realization that I'm the only white yuppie lady on the bus -- arms rubbing against probable gang members (who use bad words that hurt my tender ears), prostitutes (who discuss late-night intrigue and their "little somethin' somethin'" and who is trying to steal it where to hide it) and (ooof) blindingly pungent homeless drug addicts full of the crazies on their way SF General for methodone treatments. I try hard not to make eye contact with anyone and hope that I haven't just sat in something horrible and I think, wow, my mom would COMPLETELY freak out if she knew I rode the bus. She would probably make me move back to Wisconsin. But that bus ride down Michigan Avenue from Watertower Place to the Art Institute of Chicago -- that's a sweet carefree ride.

Shiny Shiny Stove

We finally decided which stove we wanted to buy, but when we got to Sears we were hypnotized by the more expensive shiny-shiny-shiny-fancy range. Thus, after days spent researching on-line, comparing, contrasting and weighing our options -- we bought that one instead. It looked cooler.

I curse you Consumer Reports.org -- why can't you control me!?!

2 Foot Yard

2 Foot Yard -- tonight @ the Jewish Community Center.
Carla is also in the Tin Hat Trio (our wedding band!)

Destinations

Places to go:

Oaxaca, Mexico
Genoa, Italy
Quigley’s Point, Ireland
Barcelona/Bilbao, Spain
Kauai, Hawaii
Arnes, Norway
Jacksonville, Florida
Acadia National Park, Maine
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Beijing, China
San Diego, CA (Stone Brewery!)

All Soul's Altar

This was a year full of souls. The Chef's father died and we both lost former (well-liked) co-workers. Above they are represented with WD-40 (Mr. E) Herbs de Provence (Florence) and a Belle & Sebastian CD (Jamie). Also a salute to ancestors on both sides, Eileen and the big black Kitty.

Dia de los Muertos

An opportunity to make sugar skulls (or watch someone else do it) and celebrate the lives of loved ones.

There is always an amazing altar exhibit at the Encantada Gallery on Valencia Street. Last night, we passed by it on our Halloween walk and I had to stop and press my nose against the glass.

We also plan to head to the Mission Cultural Center this weekend for more altars and installations.